Justin Edwards vs. Jorge Lopez
The fight was the UFC debut of Jorge Lopez. The Fight The first round began and they touched gloves. Edwards landed an inside kick eating a counter left. They clinched, Edwards kneed the body. Apparently that kick hit the groin early but Lopez hadn't paused. Lopez stuffed a trip. Four thirty-five. Lopez worked a single, got caught in a standing guillotine, slammed Edwards hard to half-guard. He passed to side control escaping. Lopez flipped out and turtled up. Edwards worked a front choke with four fifteen. Lopez stood blocking a knee to the body as they broke. Four minutes. Edwards landed an inside kick and ate a hard leg kick. Edwards worked a single himself. Lopez stuffed it. He had the plum. He kneed the face hard and landed a pair of left elbows and another. He stuffed another single. Three thirty. Edwards got a nice double. Lopez stood to the clinch. Edwards landed a good left elbow. Three fifteen left. Edwards got another beautiful double. Three minutes as Edwards worked another front choke. He landed a right hand and a left elbow and a right hand as Lopez stood, Edwards got another immediate double. Edwards landed a right elbow. Two thirty-five. He kneed the body hard. Lopez stood eating a right elbow and a left hand as they broke. Lopez landed a good jab there. Two fifteen. Edwards seemed relaxed. Two minutes. Lopez landed a good right hook. Lopez landed another jab and another. Edwards landed a good left hook. One thirty-five. They clinched. Lopez landed a massive knee to the face. Edwards faceplanted but stood to the clinch. Wow. He kneed the body and again. One fifteen. Edwards kneed the body but ate a right uppercut. Edwards kneed the body there. One minute. Lopez stuffed a single. They exchanged knees to the body, Lopez's landed harder. Edwards worked a single. Lopez stuffed it. Thirty-five. This is a great fight. Edwards worked a double there. Fifteen as Lopez stuffed it. Lopez kneed the body hard. Edwards was hurt briefly. He tried a double but Lopez stuffed it. The first round ended. 10-9 Edwards. Lopez's hero Wanderlei Silva was in his corner there. The second round began. Edwards ate a jab and blocked a wicked high kick. Lopez blocked a hard spinning back kick. Four thirty-five. They exchanged and clinched. Lopez stuffed a double. Edwards worked another double. He got it to side control. Four fifteen. Edwards landed a right elbow and another one. Lopez tried to wallwalk, Edwards spun him out. He landed a hard right elbow. Four minutes. Edwards worked towards some odd choke. Edwards landed a right hammerfist. Edwards pulled guard with a guillotine. He had it tight. Three thirty-five as Lopez popped out. Beautifully done by both men. Lopez landed a right hand and stood letting Edwards up. Three fifteen. Lopez landed another long jab there. Edwards took some big breaths like he had been in the corner. Three minutes. They clinched. Edwards kneed the body. And again. Two thirty-five. Edwards kneed the body. He worked a double and got it. Lopez was immediately trying to stand. Edwards had the back though with two fifteen. He was trying an arm triangle from the back sort of. He had both hooks. Two minutes. This is a grueling bout. Edwards landed four big rights in under. One thirty-five. Edwards landed nine hard rights in under with one fifteen, five more, Lopez spun to guard nicely as Edwards got comfortable. Lopez had the back now! One minute remaining. Edwards stood to the clinch. Edwards kneed the body. And again. The ref broke them up. Thirty-five. Lopez blocked a high kick. Edwards landed a nice body kick. Fifteen. They clinched. Edwards kneed the body, Lopez replied to the body hard. The second round ended. 10-9 Edwards. Lopez needs to do something. "This kid wants your job," Edwards's corner said. "Don't give it to him." The third round began and they touched gloves. Lopez landed a jab. They clinched, Lopez kneed the body there. Four thirty-five. Edwards kneed the face. And the body. Lopez worked a double and got it nicely to half-guard. Edwards worked for a kimura with four fifteen. Lopez landed a right elbow to the body. Lopez passed to side control defending. He was nearly in there, nope he put himself back in half-guard and worked the body with the right. Four minutes. Edwards has that kimura pretty well actually. Lopez escaped now. Lopez mounted! Wow! Three thirty-five as Lopez landed three rights in under, he had the back with both hooks and he was flattened out. Ten rights in under. Come on Edwards! Edwards turned back to half-guard. Three fifteen. What a comeback! Lopez passed to side control with three minutes. Lopez landed four right elbows. Lopez went to north-south. Two thirty-five. Two fifteen. Two minutes. Edwards hipped out and stood to the clinch. Edwards kneed the body stuffing a single. Lopez worked a double there. One thirty-five. He switched to a single. Edwards stuffed the single, Lopez got the double to the butterfly guard. One fifteen. Lopez landed a right elbow from the bottom and regained guard. One minute left. Lopez landed a big right elbow from the bottom. Thirty-five as Lopez landed a right hand. Edwards rolled for an armbar. He also went for a leglock at the same time. This is great. Lopez was defending, Edwards turned it to an omoplata. Wow. Fifteen. He might actually have this. Oooh. Lopez escaped. Oooh reverse triangle but right at the bell and the third round ended. 10-9 Lopez. 29-28 Edwards in my opinion, or it's a robbery. Edwards had the unanimous decision. Edwards shook hands with Lopez and with Wanderlei.